Ages & Stages

Monitoring Your Baby's Feeding

I lose track of how often my baby has breastfed on a given day or how many wet diapers she’s had. Is it important to pay attention to this?

Since breastfeeding involves no bottles with milk measured in visible ounces, it is important to monitor your baby’s milk intake in other ways—particularly during the early weeks and months of life.

The best way to make sure your baby is eating enough is to have her weight checked regularly— at every visit to the pediatrician and even between visits if your pediatrician recommends this.

In the meantime, try keeping a breastfeeding log or diary to note each nursing session and wet diaper. There’s no need to be obsessive about this, but spot-checking can be very reassuring as you establish your milk supply, and the information is useful to share with your pediatrician.

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.